Israeli threats on Beirut, Iranian pressure, direct negotiations: Our co-editor-in-chief Anthony Samrani answers your questions at 4 p.m.

Despite ongoing negotiations and repeated cease-fire announcements, the Middle East remains on edge.

A halt to Israeli strikes on Lebanon has long been one of Iran's conditions for reaching an agreement with the United States. On Monday, Tehran raised the stakes by warning that any renewed large-scale war in Lebanon could trigger a broader regional escalation involving both the Revolutionary Guards and the Houthis.

According to Hezbollah supporters, that pressure campaign yielded results, even prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to scold Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Whether that restraint will last remains unclear.

Meanwhile, Lebanon appears stuck in a prolonged deadlock. Southern Lebanon has effectively fallen outside the scope of the cease-fires announced so far. While the Lebanese delegation in Washington discusses proposals such as "pilot zones" under Lebanese Army control and a gradual cease-fire, Israeli forces continue to advance on the ground and now operate north of the Litani River.

These developments raise several questions: Is a comprehensive cease-fire in Lebanon still achievable? Has Israel begun treating southern Lebanon differently from the rest of the country? And why does Iran appear to view Beirut as a red line?

Submit your questions to Anthony Samrani in the comments section of this article or by email at livechatolj@lorientlejour.com.

He will answer them here on Thursday at 4 p.m. Beirut time.

See you soon!